I’m building two SBR ARs 10.5" LMT
& 12.5" Noveske
These two will be fun and for SHTF.
I’m relatively new to ARs and I don’t have any ammo built up. I’d like to store 1 or 2K (yes, I’d love more but can’t afford it right now) of reliableaccurate enough ammo for SHTF. Reliability is #1 here.
Of course both guns will have a 1:7 twist, and I’d love to buy 2K of MK262 or 75 gr. TAP, but I don’t have that kinda dough.
What do you recommend? Here is what I’m considering. Tell me what ya’ think and if I’ve left any out:
-Winchester Q3131 55 gr. 5.56. This stuff has shot well in any and every AR I’ve tried it in. Decent on accuracy, but velcoity is always pretty high.
-Prvi Partizan M193. Can’t find any here locally to put through my guns first, but it has a great rep.
-Prvi Partizan M855. Can’t find any here locally to put through my guns first, but it has a great rep.
-Prvi Partizan .223 75 gr. Match. Has a decent rep for accuray and reliablity. I wonder how it would do in the SBRs:confused:. Hears it’s a bit light.
You should want the high velocity in a 55-gr projectile.
I’ve shot a few thousand rounds of this ammo. It is indeed built to M193 specs. Good training ammo.
If you’re using those SBR’s you should really consider a JHP or JSP round for real use. The short barrel really robs the performance of FMJ rounds. If you really like the 75-gr TAP, save up the money and buy it.
Do you really need 2,000 rds in a stash? That’s 66, 30-rd magazines! Unless you’re digging in for some “Red Dawn” action, that’s a lot of ammo.
All good points, and thanks for sharing your advice and experiences. 2K sure would be a lot of ammo. The idea would be only some of it saved for a “stash” and a lot would be for pactice and plinking. Thought I would save on a bulk purchase.
For the heavier bullets, I thought that the Prvi Partizan 75 Gr. Match might be a good compromise. Not as accurate or as good a bullet as TAP, but a lot cheaper. I just don’t know that much about its performace. If it would reliably cycle in a SBR and I’d want to be getting at least 2300 FPS out of the 10.5" on it.
Q3131 - I wouldn’t trust this for anything unless it was the only thing available.
Priv M193 - good blasting ammo, but I’ve heard the bullet won’t frag like real M193, and it’s not due to lack of velocity.
Priv M855 - I wouldn’t take that crap for free based on the problems I’ve read about it.
Brown box XM193 is a little expensive, but Ammunition to go has it. People claim the black box is a cut below the brown or white box. And there have been accounts of feeding issues with black box on more than one of the gun boards.
Yeah, that came out wrong. I have a couple hundred rounds of this stuff and it’s great. I appreciate the high velocity in 55 gr. (especially for SBR). With the short barrel and 1/7 twist, I just figured that heavier would be better. But Q3131 stuff is reasonably accurate. I wonder how fast it’ll get out of the 10.5".
I have stashed 2k of prvi m193 and 500rds each of Q3131A and AE 55gr, 3k total and I still feel I’m dangerously low on ammo. I’ve not had any problems with any of this ammo but then again I don’t have as much experience as several guys here.
Ammo is a better investment than my stocks right now.
Had I the funds 5 years ago and what I know about the Ammo market now, I would have been sitting on 250,000 rounds each of 7.62Nato, X39, .303Brit and 5.56.
Anyone remember Shotgun news SOG ammo deals from 2000?:rolleyes:
I would at least try to have a thousand rounds of federal xm193 brown box included in your stash. Its loaded hot and pretty accurate. One of my favorites.
I have also fired several hundred rounds of the Q3131 without any issues.
I believe there have been issues with SOME of this ammo in the past and demigod may have more info on it. Given a choice, the XM193 in the brown box is probably a safer way to go.
Make sure you check around and do your homework, before you buy anything in bulk. Actually I’ve had outstanding results with the Prvi Partisan ammo, both the the 62gr SS109 stuff, and the 75gr BTHP match ammo. For good buys on this stuff, check Wideners.
I’d read on the internet somewhere (so you know it’s true) that either Pvri or Wolf 75 grain ammo uses a thicker jacket so while being relatively accurate, it’s not really a good defensive ammo.
It has a reputation for blowing primers with the instructors I’ve trained under. I bought a few boxes a year back and the ammo looked like crap. Mixed head stamps, grubby looking, etc. I did get a malf out of the small sample I had. I can’t prove it was the ammo. But I know it was.
There’s guys on the gun boards who’ve reported that their agencies have sent the 3131 they had back to WIN due to problems with it.
Well most seem to agree that the Prvi M193 is good stuff in terms of reliability. Perhaps it won’t fragment, but at the prices it’s going for right now it would be a good all around value: SHTF/Plinkin/Practice?Stock up ammo
Perhaps the best case of ammo you could invest in for SHTF purposes comes in a blue box with “Dillon” on the side.
A lot of us can’t get ahold of/purchase large amounts of factory ammo that we’re happy with, and that solves the problem nicely for me. I think the biggest thing you’d be losing out on would be the crimped primers.
